Black Coffee
by SinisterMarmalade
Summary: Now complete! What will Mina do in the depths of despair? How did she get there? And will her would be assassin become her savior? Please read and review.
1. Prologue

Story by SinisterMarmalade and his LoveAntelope.  
  
I intend no infringement, profit or disrespect to Sailor Moon or Naoko Takeuchi. I have nought but the deepest respect for both.  
  
BLACK COFFEE  
  
Prologue  
  
"Obsidian, come before me," said Prince Diamond. A shadow seemed to move, then the figure of a man melted out of it. He measured nearly as tall as the prince he stood before, with a lean runner's build. He had chin length platinum-blonde hair and deep violet eyes. The most telling thing about him though, was his jet black skin.  
  
"What can I do for you, cousin?" Obsidian asked cooly.  
  
"I just had a talk with Wiseman, and it seems you're the perfect person to further our plans." Obsidian looked disapprovingly at Diamond, who sighed. "I know what you think of him, cousin, but his only goal is for us to succeed."  
  
"Do you really believe that?" Obsidian responded skeptically.  
  
"Enough!" Prince Diamond shouted, rising to his feet. "You will not voice your poisonous lack of faith here!"  
  
"Of course," Obsidian said grimly, "forgive me."  
  
"You are already forgiven," replied Diamond as he resumed his seat. "Are you familiar with Sailor Venus?"   
  
Obsidian cracked a joking grin. "Not as much as I'd like to be," He chuckled.  
  
"It seems that after the destruction of the negaverse, Miss Aino has moved to New York in order to pursue an acting career. You're job is to kill her," Prince Diamond finished with a self satisfied look.  
  
"It shall be done," said Obsidian as he walked back into the shadows.  
  
End prologue 


	2. Hindsight Is 2020

Story by SinisterMarmalade and LoveAntelope.  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
BLACK COFFEE  
  
Chapter 1: Hindsight Is 20/20  
  
Minako Aino had run out of hope. She looked back bitterly at her former self. She'd been so sure and so had all of her friends. When she announced her plans to relocate to America, specifically to New York City, they had all been speechless with surprise.  
  
"What's in New York, Mina-chan?" Ami queried. Mina smiled at the intellectual senshi.  
  
"Broadway!" she exclaimed. "I'm going to become an actress!"  
  
Her friends had nothing but encouragement for her, besides which she was full of her own idealism and confidence.  
  
Minako laughed bitterly to herself. It had seemed only natural to her that the goddess of love and beauty ought to be able to waltz into any studio and get a starring role in a major motion picture right away. She couldn't tell anyone about her past as a senshi of course, but that shouldn't matter.  
  
At the airport everyone was there to see her off. There were tears, promises to call or write, more tears, hugs and above all the naivete of youth.  
  
When she arrived she used her life savings to rent a penthouse and a car. She believed her life savings would sustain her until she made it big.  
  
She didn't have those things anymore. The car had been stolen, and the penthouse had drained her life savings. Now she had a one room apartment in a bad neighborhood and little else. She couldn't call her friends because she couldn't afford a phone line. She couldn't even afford to write as all her money had to go towards living expenses. She had sent a letter to her friends about two weeks ago, telling them the reality of her situation. One week ago she'd gotten a letter back. It was a cheerful card with a cartoon cat on it. All of her friends had signed it and written things like "don't give up," "we believe in you," and "you can do it, Mina-chan!" It was clear that none of them had understood. She ripped the card up and threw it away.  
  
To date she had been in one movie. Out of necessity she had "acted" in a porno flick. She prayed to God that her friends wouldn't see it. She used the name Jade Honey in the film, but she knew if they saw it they would recognize her. Her only consolation had been that all her scenes were with women. She wasn't gay, but it had seemed safer than with men. What had surprised her was the emptiness she saw in the eyes of her fellow cast members, even the men. Her own despair stared back at her from each of them. She had vowed that she would die before she acted in another porno. That night she sent one last letter home.  
  
My dearest friends,  
  
I write to you now to say goodbye. I know you won't understand; I wouldn't expect you to. You still see the world as having hope. I am free of this illusion, because for me, hope doesn't exist any more. I've come to see the world as it really is: A dark, cruel and twisted place. I hope you never lose your rose-colored glasses. I love all of you, remember me well.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Minako Aino  
  
Fifteen minutes ago she had put the sealed envelope into the mail box in the front doorway of the apartment building. Now she stood on the ledge surrounding the top of the apartment. Her hair was meticulously brushed out to its full length, soft as buttermilk and unrestrained. She wore a breath-taking red silk dress that she had bought to impress the first director she met. She smiled wryly to herself at the irony. She spread her arms and prepared to fall into oblivion.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked a voice from the shadows.  
  
End chapter 1 


	3. Misery Loves Company

Story by SinisterMarmalade and LoveAntelope.  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
BLACK COFFEE  
  
Chapter 2: Misery Loves Company  
  
Minako spun around quickly towards the direction the voice seemed to be coming from.  
  
"Who are you?" she shouted, momentarily caught off guard. As she peered into the darkness the figure of a man took shape. The figure stepped into the light and bowed.  
  
"I am Obsidian of the Black Moon family," he said with mock formality. Mina gasped.  
  
"The Black Moon family? Then where's your forehead tattoo?" she demanded.  
  
"It's there, it just blends in with the rest of me," he joked. Suddenly she laughed. "You like my joke?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"It's not that," Minako responded, shaking her head. "You're here to kill me, aren't you?"  
  
"That's the job I was given," he agreed. She turned back towards the ledge.  
  
"Just wait five seconds and I'll do the job for you," Mina said calmly.  
  
"I can't let you do that," he stated, suddenly serious. She turned to face him again.  
  
"Why in the hell not? Wouldn't it just be easier for you in the end?" she asked hotly. Obsidian paused to think for a moment.  
  
"Wouldn't that be a copout on both our parts?" he responded.  
  
"Didn't know you were such a hard worker," she replied sarcastically. "I'll tell you what," Mina continued, "If you promise to make it quick, you can go ahead and kill me."  
  
"Why do you want to die?" he asked her.  
  
"It doesn't matter! Now hurry up!" she demanded, losing patience. Obsidian gathered his energies in preparation to strike, then he let it dissapate without shooting.  
  
"Call me curious, but I'm confused. You're so beautiful you could have any guy you wanted, you have friends back in Japan who love you, and you even have a future destiny to rebuild the kingdom of Venus! What could possibly drive a girl like you to such lengths?" he asked incredulously. Mina crossed her arms.  
  
"For one thing, beauty is all that I have to offer the world because I don't have any talent and I'm all out of love. I can't even love myself anymore so how could I love anyone else?" she ranted. "Besides, all beauty is good for in this town is for selling yourself," she said with deep sorrow.  
  
"What about your friends? Aren't they your second family? Don't you think they care about you?" Obsidian expounded. Minako turned away quickly before he could witness a solitary tear roll down her cheek.  
  
"I tried to reach them," she choked, "I told them what I was going through and even gave them hints about my contemplations of suicide. But they didn't understand."  
  
"How do you know they didn't?" he responded.  
  
"The return letter was one of those saccarine cards with everyone telling me to try harder. Like I could just say "Ike Ike Go Go Jump" and make everything better," she retorted bitterly.  
  
"Alright, if you're going to jump, then jump. I can't believe I'm wasting my time with a brat who's throwing a hissy fit because she can't make people fall in love with her," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" she yelled.  
  
"I mean that there are already a lot of people you've helped, a lot of people who care about you, and you're going to jump because get a role in a movie?" he finished, arms crossed.  
  
"Do you really think I'm that shallow?" she questioned.  
  
"No, I don't. That's why I want to know the real reason for this. From what you said before I think I can guess, but it will help you more if you tell me about it. So what happened?" he said more softly.  
  
"I was in a movie once," she whispered sadly. "It was called "The Art Of Lust," and it didn't play at any theater that I'd go to. I feel like such a whore. I'm dirty, I'm tainted and no matter how hard I try I'm never going to be clean. All I can do is hope that my friends never see it."  
  
"You've seen a bit of the uglier side of the world, I'll admit. But it's not all like that," he said, looking straight into her eyes. "There's a lot of beauty in the world, too."  
  
"Beauty," she contemplated. "I can't see it anymore."  
  
"It's been a long time since I've seen it too," he admitted. "Do you want to get some coffee with me?"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to kill me?" she asked him, confused. Obsidian shrugged.  
  
"At this point, I really don't feel like it," he sighed. He extended a hand out to her, and she took it.  
  
"How do you drink your coffee?" she asked him as they walk down the street.  
  
"Black," he said with a grin.  
  
End story.  
  
P.S.: If you want me to write a sequel, I'll need fifteen reviews saying so. 


End file.
